


you've got magic in your fingertips

by toflowerknights



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, F/M, M/M, loosely based on rapunzel, notice the word loosely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-04 16:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4145232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toflowerknights/pseuds/toflowerknights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn made a promise. He's going to find the missing princess and bring her home. His horse Bell helps him sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen who desperately wanted a child. They prayed day and night for a child to call their own, and one day their prayers were answered. The King and Queen couldn’t have been happier. The child, a daughter, brightened their lives with eyes blue as sapphires and hair as bright as the sun._

_King Jake and Queen Abby loved their daughter with all they had, and promised that she’d never wish for anything._

_They named her Clarke_

 

”Ugh, do we need to hear this stupid story again?” a voice interrupted.

Finn turned around and watched Raven standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Her lips was pursed in annoyance. 

”You’re ruining it,” Finn said in a loud whine. ”I wanna hear.”

”I’m too old for fairy tales,” Raven retorted and sat down next to their mother.

”You’re seven, stupid,” Finn said and reached for her pony tail. 

”Seven and a _half_ ,” Raven bit out. ”And you’re stupider.”

”Kids,” Marie warned fondly and batted Finn’s hand away from Raven’s hair. She let patience flow from her fingertips and made it caress her children. A smile formed on her lips as both of them calmed down. ”How about this. I tell you the story, and if you’re not asleep when I’m done I’ll tell you another one. How does that sound?”

She waited for confirmation from both her children and let them cosy up before she continued.

 

_Clarke spent the first six months of her life the happiest she could’ve ever been. Her parents were true to their words and gave her everything she wished for. They were happy._

_But one day, after King Jake and Queen Abby had put Clarke to sleep something happened. As the sun had set and the kingdom had gone to bed an intruder forced their way into the castle. Before anyone noticed they had entered the princess’ nursery and when morning came, Clarke was gone._

_The King and Queen were devastated and sent out a reward for anyone who could find their daughter. Many tried to find her, and all of them failed. To this day, no one had been able to find the missing princess._

 

Marie finished her story and looked at her children. Both of them, even Raven, were looking at her with wide eyes and Finn was clasping his plush horse to his chest. 

”Where do you think Princess Clarke is, mom?” Raven asked.

”Oh, I don’t know,” Marie said and got up from the comfortable reading nook in the back of their house. ”She hasn’t been seen for nearly six years. She could be anywhere.”

”One day I’ll find her,” Finn vowed and Raven huffed.

”How are you gonna do that?” She asked him. ”You’re small.”

”Not _now,_ ” Finn said and rolled his eyes. ”One day. When I’m bigger.” He looked up at their mother. ”I could, couldn’t I?” he asked. ”You wouldn’t have to be a knight to look for Princess Clarke. Right mom?”

”Princesses are stupid,” Raven muttered. "And you don't even know control yet."

Finn stuck his tongue out and sent out a burst of energy from his palm. It hit Raven square in the forehead and she looked shocked at him for a moment before she burst out laughing. The sweet smell of happiness hit Finn's nose and he crossed his arms sourly.

" _Mom,_ " Finn whined.

”Anyone could look for her,” Marie promised. ”Even little rascals like you.”

Finn would make many promises over the years, but one would always stay the same. He would find the princess, and he would bring her home.

 

- 

 

TWENTY YEARS LATER

 

There was not much to look at besides endless fields and a dusty, dirt road. Finn had been traveling on that same road for close to three weeks now, trying to get to Lumnia. Somehow he felt like he was failing. 

They were standing next to a large wooden sign telling them ’Welcome to Summer’.

“Welcome to Summer?” Finn muttered. ”It’s autumn, at least live up to your name”

He pulled out the map he always carried with him.

”I think we’re on the right track,” Finn said as he looked at it. The ink had since long faded and for the last five years one had had to guess which way pointed north. Finn hadn’t let that bother him, and chose to let his gut decide where the ’right way’ would be.

”What do you think, Bell?” Finn asked and got a dismayed neigh from the horse next to him. ”No?

Bell, his impatient and surprisingly opinionated horse, shook his head. Finn didn’t let that get him down and tucked the map into his belt. He wiped his wavy, brown hair out of his eyes and motioned for Bell to follow. 

”You know, I’ve said it for three years, but you’re really pushy for a horse,” he said as they walked down the road. ”I bought you so that I could ride you, you know.”

The glare Bell gave him told him all he needed to know. ”I know, I know, you don’t like it, but my knees are like an old man’s by now. All this walking.”

Bell gave him a deadpan look and kept walking.

 

The fun thing about Bell, according to Finn, was how expressive he was. When Finn had bought him three years ago he had been a frightened young stallion tied to a fence in the blistering sun. Finn had chased down a dead end on his quest to find Princess Clarke and had heard the anxious whines from the horse.

Pity had struck him, and on a whim he’d asked how much the owner, an old frail woman with a wicked smile, wanted for him. Finn imagined he had paid way too much, but he couldn’t bare the thought of the horse being tied up there for one more minute. The horse had fought him in the beginning, but after a while it seemed as if he had come around and followed Finn willingly.

As they had walked through the tiny village called Dria, just a two days walk from Polis, Finn tried to come up with a name for his new companion. Surprisingly enough the stallion was still unnamed.

But all the names seemed to offend the horse in some way, based on the loud protest his suggestions recieved.

”Well, what do you suggest then?” Finn asked in amusement and the horse stopped in the middle of the town square.

The horse seemed to look around before he trotted off. Finn followed as quickly as he could, holding on to the reins with all his might. The horse stopped and Finn got a mouthful of coarse black hair. The horse looked expectantly at him, and wouldn’t Raven just love the fact that he thought he could communicate with a horse.

”What?” he asked and the stallion blinked before pressing his mule toward the bell centered in the town square. Then he looked back at Finn. ”Yeah?” Finn said, and felt incredibly stupid. ”It’s a bell.”

A snort escaped the horse and he repeated the motion again.

”What are you trying to tell me,” Finn said. ”It’s a bell. Are you saying you want to be called Bell?”

The horse kissed him on the forehead.

A smell of affection had been left in its wake and Finn couldn't help but send some back. Finn had wiped his face with a crooked smile.

”Alright,” he said. ”I guess your name is Bell.” He loved his new horse already. ”Let’s go find a princess, Bell.”

 

Loud voices pulled Finn back to reality.

Further down the road Finn could see a group of people, around five men, gathered and started walking toward him. His gut told him that they were on the wrong track. ”You see that?” he mumbled to Bell. ”You think they’re friendly?”

Bell’s reply told him what he had feared. These men were trouble.

”Hello, gentlemen,” Finn said as cheerfully as possible, even though it was clear that these men were anything but. He sent out some serenity to hopefully calm everyone down. ”Anyone of you know if this is the proper way to Lumnia?”

”You’re way off, mate,” one of the men said. He looked as if he was in a dire need of a bath. When he scratched his cheek Finn could see grime and dirt buried under his finger nails. ”You probably took a left in Gansi instead of a right.”

Around his wrist was an amulet and Finn winced when he saw that his magic wouldn't help him here.

”That’s too bad,” Finn said and took a step back. ”So, I should just turn around and get going then.”

Bell’s muffle touched his shoulder and Finn hummed quietly as they began to back away.

”You know what,” another man said and stepped forward, teeth yellowed as he smiled, closer to Finn. ”Why don’t you give us your money and that horse of yours and you can be on your way.”

”You know, I would,” Finn said and kept backing away. ”But Bell is real people shy and doesn’t like to be with strangers. I think it’s best that he stays with me.”

He had barely said the words before two of the men had pulled out sharp looking knives. Bell neighed frightfully.

”I think I told you to give us the horse,” said the leader lowly.

”And I told you to go to hell,” Finn bit back before taking off in a sprint, Bell right by his side. There was a loud shout behind him as the men set off after them. Finn counted his lucky stars that none of them were skilled in the bow.

Bell took three long sprints, passing Finn by a great deal, before coming to a halt. He stopped sideways, effectively blocking Finn’s path.

”What are you doing?” Finn panted. ”They’ll catch us.”

Before he’s even finished the sentence Bell knelt on the ground. Finn felt his jaw drop and for a split second neither of them moved before the loud voices grew nearer.

”Seriously?” Finn asked as he jumped on Bell’s back. ”All I had to do was get robbed and you’d let me ride you? Three years of this, Bell.”

Bell let out something that sounded like laughter.

 

Now that Finn was on Bell’s back there was no way that the robbers would ever catch up. But Finn didn’t want to risk them following him, so he steered Bell off the road and into the woods.

The wind was chilly against his skin now that the sun was hidden from view. The forest was almost untouched and astounding in its beauty, with a small river on his right. It felt adventurous, like it wanted to experience great things, and Finn was enamored.

”Let’s see where that leads,” Finn mumbled to Bell.

They followed the stream long enough for Finn’s thoughts to drift and his senses dulled with the steady pace of Bell’s steps. After a while the stream got wider and they arrived at a small clearing, a pond resting in the middle.

Finn smiled widely at the beautiful setting in front of him and got off Bell’s back. He rubbed Bell’s side as a thank you, affection pouring through his fingertips, before diving headfirst into the pond. The water soaked him to the bone and washed away the grime and dirt that had covered his body since the last time he had stayed at an inn. Which, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, had been a rather long time ago.

Finn stayed in the pond until his fingers were wrinkled and his clothes started weighing him down. Then he sat down at the edge and let his feet rest in the water while Bell quietly drank it.

That’s when he saw it.

At the other end of the clearing, hidden by trees, was a small cottage. It couldn’t be large enough for more than two people and it would’ve looked picturesque if it wasn’t for the fact that it gave off a very negative feeling. Like how you felt after your mother told you a scary story. The flowers were wilting around it.

”Bell, look,” Finn mumbled and got up on his feet. His dread grew as he walked closer, and Bell made a worried sound behind him. ”Who would live in such a place?”


	2. Chapter 2

The feeling grew the closer he got. The grass wrapped around him like veins and held him back, like he wasn’t welcome. Finn pushed through it, because somehow he knew that this was important.

He waded through the negativity and stopped just in front of the door. The polite thing would be to knock, but Finn had a feeling that whomever lived on the other side of that door wouldn’t want him to come in. Hesitantly he placed his hand on the door handle.

Finn knew it was a bad idea. Felt it in his whole being. Honestly, it was probably one of the more stupid things he’d ever done. Bell neighed worriedly behind him.

He pushed the door open.

The moment he stepped foot over the threshold a violent burst of magic hit him square in the chest. Blast after blast of magic attacked him, and Finn had been caught off guard. He had no way to defend himself. He fell to the ground, hit his head against the floor in the process, and protectively shielded himself from whatever was coming next.

When nothing happened he looked up from where he was hiding, and through the protective shield he instinctivetly had put up he saw a pretty woman stare back at him. Blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders and her eyes were wide and flickering

Her hands were raised, ready to attack.

”I’m not gonna hurt you,” Finn gasped, the pain in his chest wasn’t subsiding. The field around him flickered for a moment before disappearing completely. He could hear Bell whine outside.

Now that he had no means to protect himself he steeled himself for what the woman would do to him. But no attack came.

”You’re magic too?” the woman asked, gaping, and hurried to pull Finn off the floor. The movement made new bursts of pain shoot through Finn’s torso.

”Well, not as powerful as you,” Finn said and rubbed his chest with a painful groan.

The woman hid a smile and pressed her hand over the scalding burn on his skin. A pleasant feeling spread through his chest and he could feel

”Sorry,” she said. ”Mother told me that people would… She told me to defend myself if someone I didn’t know came.”

”Sounds smart.”

There was a sound from outside, and Finn suddenly remembered that Bell still was outside. ”Shit,” he mumbled. ”I’m okay, Bell. I’m fine!”

There was a noise of dismay and Finn let out a laugh.

”I know,” he replied. ”But you’ll have to wait a while until I get back out and you can see my pretty face again.”

He turned his gaze back to the woman who was just staring at him. She was looking at him with thinly veiled curiosity and Finn felt as if he was being examined.

”I thought I was the only one,” the girl mumbled.

She pushed her hair behind one ear, and Finn felt a surge of affection toward the woman in front of him. He was pretty sure that she could feel it, because she ducked her head to hide a blush.

Finn cleared his throat awkwardly.

”There’s not a lot of us,” Finn told her. ”But we’re out there. Though I’ve never met anyone as powerful as you,” he added with a wide, intrigued smile and the woman’s blush deepened.

”I can only do a couple of things,” she said, as if she actually didn’t carry all that magic around her. The air was static around her, everything seemed so attuned to her and what she would do next.

”I’m Finn,” Finn said, slightly mesmerized, and the woman smiled.

”I’m Clarke.”

Something like lightning zapped Finn, and for a moment he could only stare, mouth wide open. Finn never really understood being hit with realisation until that moment, but the second Clarke said her name it was as if all those stories he had been told all his life made sense.

”You’re her,” he said finally.

Clarke looked at him questioningly. ”What?”

”Clarke,” Finn repeated. ”The missing princess.” He got up from the floor and as he did Clarke took a few steps back.

”What missing princess?” Clarke asked and Finn’s jaw dropped again.

”You don’t know?” he said and before Clarke could answer he dove into a long story about the missing princess, Clarke, and how she had been missing since she was a child. ”I’ve been looking for you for so long,” he finished and looked at Clarke hopefully.

Clarke stared at him

”That is… the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” she told him with skepticism written all over her face. "I'm not a princess. I've been living here with my mother all my life. I don't know who you are or who put all these stories in your head, but I’d like you to leave. Now.”

Her fingertips buzzed threatingly and Finn raised his hands in defeat.

”Please, just answer this,” he said and took a step toward the door. ”How do you feel when you’re inside this house?” Finn made a sweeping gesture around the tiny hut.

Clarke considered his words for a few moments before answering. ”Warm,” she said finally. ”Like it would be a mistake to leave.”

”I feel like I’m suffocating,” Finn replied immediately. ”I had to fight every instinct I had to get through the door. Don’t you get it? There’s magic surrounding this house. Someone’s keeping you in, and other people out.”

Sparks flew from Clarke’s fingertips. ”You’re wrong,” she said and shook her head. ”Mother would never-”

”She’s not your mother, Clarke,” Finn interrupted. ”She took you away, she _kidnapped_ you.”

Clarke threw her arm out, hand clenched in a fist. Finn raised his arms protectively to shield himself from the blast of rage hurling towards him. His back hit the ground and when he opened his eyes again Bell was looking down at him.

Bell snorted in his face and Finn sighed.

”I know,” he said and sat up. ”It could’ve gone better.”

He dusted himself off and pressed his lips together when he saw the door to the hut shut closed in front of him.

”She’s the one, Bell,” Finn mumbled and stroked his side instinctively. ”I just know she is.”

They stood there, side by side, for a while as Finn wished desperately for Clarke to step through the door. She didn't.

”I promise you I’m not lying,” he called out to the closed door. ”If you’d just come with I could show you. You could see so much more than the world you already have.”

When no reply came he gathered his packs and turned around. ”Let’s go Bell.”

They left the house with heavy steps, even though the weight in Finn’s heart eased up the further away from the magic he got. Bell stayed close to him, seemed in tune with his sorrow and tried to comfort him as much as he could.

When they got to the edge of the forest Bell’s ears peaked and he froze in place. Hope bloomed in Finn’s chest once more and as he turned around he was met with Clarke coming closer and closer. She carried a large pack slung across her shoulders and her hair had been tied back in a long braid.

Finn’s smile was blinding as she stopped in front of them, lip caught between her teeth. Her nervousness was a light blue cloud around her, and Finn had his own to match.

”You didn’t give me any time to pack,” Clarke said casually, before setting off into the forest.


	3. Chapter 3

”You know, this still doesn’t mean that I believe you,” Clarke said as they were sitting just at the edge of the forest, sharing a meal Clarke had brought from her home.

Finn raised his hands. ”Hey,” he said casually, ”you came. That’s all that matters right now.”

”I’m just curious,” she continued, as if she hadn’t heard him. ”As you said; I could see the world. I don’t need to stay at home all my life.”

”Right.” Finn hid a smile.

”And if mother really loves me she’ll understand. I left her a note, saying I’ll be back. It will be fine.”

As Clarke spoke several animals gathered around them. A squirrel slowly made it’s way up to them until it was just a few feet away. Behind it was a hare, several birds and a doe that hid deeper into the forest. They seemed just as spellbound as Finn felt. Finn had only seen this once before in his life. An old woman had been singing on the side of the road and several cats had been sitting in a half circle around her. But that Clarke could do it so effortlessly, without even knowing it, was nothing short of amazing.

”What?” Clarke asked him, and Finn realised he must have been staring. ”Do I have something on my face?”

Finn shook his head. Bell, who had been laying next to him in the shade, gave out a irritated sound. Clarke watched the horse curiously as she took a bite of the apple in her hand.

”He doesn’t like me.” It wasn’t a question and Bell’s glare only confirmed it.

Finn gave her an apologetic smile and rubbed Bell’s flank. ”He doesn’t really like people,” he said just as Bell melted into his side. Clarke only raised her eyebrow.

”We should get going,” Finn said and gave Bell the rest of his apple. ”Polis is a thirteen and some days walk. And I’m sure it’ll take even longer since someone,” he gave Bell a glare, ”refuses to help.”

Bell only huffed and got up off the ground.

They walked along the roads at the outskirts of Summer and Finn tried to tell Clarke as much as possible about the things she saw. The childlike wonder in Clarke’s eyes as she saw things completely new to her made him feel like he was interrupting something. Clarke caught him staring more than once, and every time she gave him a half-smile that hid both amusement and confusion.

”I think she likes me, Bell,” Finn whispered and groaned as Bell licked his neck. ”Fucking hell, you know how much I hate it when you do that.”

The first night they fell asleep they made up a fire to scare away big animals that might view them as prey. Together both Finn and Clarke surrounded themselves with peace and serentiy. They laid down on opposite sides of the fire, even though they knew that Clarke would get cold as the fire burnt out. Finn was laying with his body lined up against Bell and felt warmth radiate through him. Neither of them spoke, and it suited Finn just fine.

They fell asleep facing each other, the fire burning between them.

 

Conturaty to Finn’s beliefs, things weren’t like the stories. Where the knight and his princess would’ve encountered many dangers their path was safe and they neared Polis swiftly. Finn suspected that Clarke might have something to do with it, because she seemed to attract joy and happiness wherever she went.

Finn, who always had had a case of bad luck surrounding him, had never seen anyone recieve as many free gifts as Clarke had.

They arrived at Rison after a weeks worth of traveling. Rather than staying at an inn, which probably was preferrable, but Bell didn’t like being alone, they stayed at the outskirts of town after getting enough provisions for a few days. Before they went to bed they decided to spend a few moments out in the cool evening air.

Clarke seemed to have lost her reservations toward Finn during the days they had spent together, because she was much more relaxed than she was in the beginning. She was talking loudly with a mouth full of bread, waving her hands widely as she spoke.

”You know you can stop,” Clarke said as they sat next to each other in the high grass. Finn didn’t understand what she meant, and after a moment a light went off in Clarke’s eyes as he looked at her.

”You don’t even know you’re doing it, do you?” she asked and when Finn shrugged in question she smiled. ”At first I didn’t notice, ’cause I’m new to recognising other people’s magic,” she explained. ”You’ve been pouring luck onto me since the moment we left Summer.”

Finn only had to look at her for a moment before he saw a faint blue light surround her in the warm evening glow. He frowned.

”I wasn’t…” he began, but a memory cradled the back of his neck like a gentle hand trying to calm him down.

”You’ve got to stop giving so much of yourself,” his mother had whispered to him one night, many years ago. Finn never understood what she’d meant, thought that she might have figured that the fact that he would hand himself into trouble somehow. He never realised that he’d been giving his luck away, all this time.

”Did you know about this?” he asked Bell. The deadpan look Bell gave him was answer enough.

Clarke let out a warm laugh, and some crumbs that had gathered on her lips fell into her lap. ”You’re different,” she said quietly. ”I know I haven’t met a lot of people in my life, at least not until a few days ago, but you’re not what I expected.”

Finn blushed and ducked his head, not used to being at the center of attention. ”Is that good?” he asked and cast a burning glare at Bell, who had let out a loud huff.

The sun was setting around them, and in the pink light Clarke’s eyes seemed almost violet, filled with joy and mystery.

”It’s good,” she said and a puff of interest left her lips in a cloud of smoke. Her face reddened even further in the warm light.

All the luck Finn had given away all these years seemed to return to him, because before he could react Clarke leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. They tasted like snow and strawberries at the same time and he let out a surprised sound against Clarke’s mouth. It made Clarke smile, and that in turn made Finn all warm and he relaxed immediately. His hand found Clarke’s hair and he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Clarke let out a humming noise and it made Finn’s heart pound in his ears.

The moment was ruined, however, when Bell all of a sudden got up off the ground and laid down on the other side of the camp fire. Finn looked at Clarke with a small smile on his face and Clarke was rubbing her neck embarrassedly.

”We should sleep,” she said after a while and Finn nodded in agreement.

They laid down, side by side this time, and before Finn fell asleep Clarke reached out and placed his arm around her waist. Finn smiled against her hair and tried to ignore the chill covering his back, where Bell usually where.

 

”We’re getting closer,” Clarke said some days later. ”I can feel it.”

Dria was bursting with life and around her people was walking back and forth, busy with their lives, not realising a princess was among them. Finn didn’t say anything, too busy being distracted by the texture of Clarke’s hand against his. The last few days had been spent traveling and laughing during the day and quiet kisses in the evenings. Finn had been floating with happniess, finally realising that all his dreams had come true. He had found the princess he had spent his whole life searching for.

The only problem now was Bell. Bell had been short with him and even shorter with Clarke. If Finn hadn’t known better he would’ve said he was jealous.

”You know I’d never forget about you when I get to live in a castle,” he had whispered one night as Clarke was washing up in a river a bit away from them. Bell had only looked at him until Finn felt bad for something he couldn’t even explain. Bad enough that he had apologized to Clarke as she came back, her hair leaving dark trails against her shirt.

”Finn,” Clarke said and snapped some attention into him. ”When do we get to Polis?”

”We should get there in a few days,” Finn replied. ”Probably two.”

”Awesome,” Clarke said and kissed his cheek before letting go of his hand and running off to a stand at the market, filled with dried fruits.

Finn touched the place where Clarke had kissed him, a goofy smile widening on his lips. All of a sudden he bumped into something. Finn forced himself to focus and saw that the hard object he had walked into was the bell at the center of the square

”Do you remember this place?” Finn asked, hoping that Bell was in a better mood. ”This is where we first met.” He trailed his fingers across the cold metal and smiled at the memory of Bell choosing his name in the process.

He felt Bell press his mule against his shoulder. It seemed to be Bell’s way of telling him things without the use of words and closed his eyes with a smile. ”Yeah, I know,” he said quietly. ”Me too.”

Clarke found them a few minutes later, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of dried apple. ”I’ve been thinking,” she said between bites. ”Should we rent a room, just for tonight?”

Finn’s stomach turned on itself, filling with butterflies and warmth, and he nodded because he didn’t trust his voice to carry at that moment.

Bellamy let out a wounded sound.

Both Finn and Clarke looked at the horse, who looked almost pathetically lonely as he hung his head. Finn reached out and stroke his hand across the coarse hair of his mane.

”Bell, it’s just one night,” he said quietly, and tried to ignore the feeling as if he was betraying his horse. ”Just this once.”

 

Nervousness was bubbling under the surface as Finn walked out of the small washroom and into where they would be spend the night. Moonlight shone through the window and illuminated Clarke as she was sitting on top of the sheets. Her hair was flowing over her shoulders and Finn thought he’d never seen anyone look as beautiful as she did right then.

He cleared his throat quietly.

”Goodnight,” he said lowly and began to lie down at the foot of the bed, where his pack was laying.

”Finn, don’t be stupid,” Clarke said with a small smile. ”I want you to share my bed.”

Finn swallowed, heart pounding in his chest, and he inched closer to the bed. When he was standing next to Clarke he could see a faint light of worry surround her, and relief filled him when he realised that she was as nervous as him.

”May I?” he asked and the tension in Clarke’s shoulders vanished and she pulled him down with a big laugh.

Finn creeped down to the stables at dawn and found Bell hidden away in one of the stalls at the end of the building. He slid in next to him and smiled slightly as Bell roused from his slumber.

”Hey,” Finn whispered. ”Are you still mad at me?”

Bell snorted in his face.

”Yeah, I know,” Finn said and slid down against the wall, so that he was looking up at Bell. ”I know.”

He didn’t say anything for a while, instead he dove into the past few hours and tried to make sense of how he was feeling. Thought of Clarke, beautiful and amazing, hair spilling out over the pillows and hands gripping the sheets. He remembered the heat… and the affection slipping between them. It was all he’d ever wanted. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy. In fact, his heart was still pounding from it. It was enough to burst his chest wide open and paint the whole world with.

”I feel so confused,” Finn whispered and hid his face in his arms. After a few beats Bell nuzzled the top of his head.

He woke up to find Clarke standing next to Bell with an amused smile on her face.

”I’m not even gonna ask,” she said and held out her hand.

Finn took it with a sleepy, but wide, smile and pulled her in for a quick kiss. ”Good, ’cause I don’t have an answer, princess,” he said.

Clarke pulled a face at the nickname, probably still not convinced that she was in fact the missing heir. ”We need to get going,” she said. ”Because I have a feeling that something bad is coming. I’d like to see Polis before it does.”

Her words worried Finn, more than he let on. He had learned to trust the instincts of his magic a long time ago, and learning to trust his gut feeling had saved him more than once.

”You’re right,” he said. ”Let’s go.”


	4. Chapter 4

They arrived at the castle one week later. Clarke’s eyes widened in amazement and Finn, who couldn’t be anything other than mezmerized by her, couldn’t help but share her feelings.

”I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. ”It’s just so… magnificent.”

She gave Finn a wide smile and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Finn could feel excitement pulse through her veins, but there was also worry. And sadness.

”What’s wrong?” he asked and Clarke bit her lip in thought.

”I’m just,” she began and looked up at the castle again. ”So much has happened in the past weeks. I’ve seen so much I’d never dreamt of seeing. So much life… And joy.” The last part was said with a small smile. ”I just don’t want to give it up.”

”You won’t have to,” Finn assured her. He gave her hand another squeeze. ”You’ll have all of this, and more.”

”You keep saying that,” Clarke said and let go of his hand. ”But how do you know? I’m still not convinced that I’m the missing princess, no matter how many times you’ve said it. There is no way we’re getting in the castle, and there’s an even smaller chance we’ll get to see the King and Queen. And if it’s all true then-”

She stopped talking abruptly and her face twisted in pain. Finn suddenly felt bad for twisting her life around. Everything she’d ever known was the four walls of the house she had lived in and if he actually was wrong this would only make things worse.

”I’m sorry I put you through this,” Finn said honestly. ”I really am. But don’t you at least want to know for sure?” He stood in front of her and tried to show her how much he trusted what he said. ”I know you are the missing princess. I know it, and I can’t explain how. I even know that we’ll get into the castle, and when we meet the King and Queen I know that they’ll know who you are too. You wanna know how I know?” He grasped Clarke’s face between his hands and gave her a wide, open smile. ”You just gotta believe.”

Clarke looked at him for a long time and after a while she gave him a small smile. ”Okay,” she said.

Bell, who had spent this whole conversation in silence, huffed. It broke the spell between them and Finn couldn’t help but glare at his horse, who glared back before he turned around to eat a bundle of grass. Clarke looked on in slight amusement.

”You still haven’t told me how we’re getting into the castle,” she muttered, and her breath tickled the insides of Finn’s wrists.

”Clarke,” he said with a loving sigh. ”You need to believe.”

He tilted his head toward the castle and showed Clarke the purple strands of faith that creeped their way through the cracks and into the castle. The people on the busy market around them seemed oblivious to blatant display of magic.

Finn let his hands fall from her face and held one out. ”I need your help,” he said. ”It’s not me they want to meet.”

There was a moment of hesitation before Clarke, almost shyly, placed her hand in his. Finn watched as she closed her eyes, and after a few beats a vibrant violet stream of magic erupted from her fingers and made it’s way toward the castle. They stood there for what seemed like hours, magic constantly flowing, side by side.

 

It was nearly nightfall when there was a flicker of light behind the gates.

”Finn,” Clarke gasped and nearly crushed his hand.

”I see them,” Finn replied, just as the gates opened and four guards approached.

”The King and Queen wants to meet you,” one of them said and cast a quick glance at Bell, who was unamusedly watching the exchange. ”The horse can stay in our stables for the time being.”

One of the other guards reached out for Bell, but the horse let out a sound of protest.

”He doesn’t much care for other people,” Finn excused. ”But he’ll follow you.” He cast a hard look at Bell, who replied in kind.

They walked together into the courtyard and the last Finn saw of Bell before they entered the castle was the coarse hair of Bell’s tail.

Finn and Clarke walked side by side through deserted hallways in the castle and Clarke’s grip on Finn’s hand never loosened. Finn’s fingers were beginning to numb, but he knew that this was the kind of support Clarke needed right now.

They stopped in front of two heavy wooden doors and as they opened they could see the King and Queen sit at the far end of the throne room.

Just as Finn was about to take his first step into the room Clarke’s grip on his hand pulled him back. When he turned around to look at her he could see the fear in her wide eyes.

”What’s wrong?” he asked.

”What if,” she whispered and took a shaky breath. ”What if…”

There was so many possible endings to that sentence and Finn pulled her in for a quick kiss, didn’t care who saw.

”You’ll be fine,” he mouthed against her lips and he could feel them tremble. ”I won’t leave you.”

”I know,” she mumbled without taking her eyes off of the King and Queen, who sat unmoving in front of them, and Finn got dizzy with affection.

This time she took the first step.

When they got halfway the Queen stood up and walked to meet them. Clarke’s pace sped up and as it did a glow contoured her body, reflecting off the walls. Finn stopped walking, Clarke reached out her now free hand and started running.

Finn’s heart was pounding in his ears when the Queen did the same. He stopped breathing when the Queen reached out and their fingertips touched.

The whole world went white.

When the light died Finn could see Clarke and Queen Abby in each other’s arms. Queen Abby was clinging to her daughter and Clarke had buried her head in her mother’s neck to hide the sobs that escaped her lips.

In the background King Jake was clutching the armrests to his throne. He seemed to be unable to move.

”How did you know?” Clarke asked with her eyes filled with tears and Queen Abby cradled her daughter’s face in her hands.

”Oh, my child,” she said. ”I would know you anywhere. Your precense and your magic filled the hole in my heart the minute I laid eyes on you.”

Finn could see the love and relief on the Queen’s face as she took in the presence of her daughter, and startled when King Jake suddenly was by her wife’s side.

”Dad,” Clarke whispered, sounding much younger than she was.

King Jake cradled the back of her head and pressed her against his chest.

Finn, who had been watching on in silence felt slightly out of place and he thought it best that he removed himself while Clarke reunited with her parents. He took a silent step back, then another, and by the third he, of course, tripped.

The Griffin’s looked up and stared at the unfamiliar boy laying on the floor.

”Finn,” Clarke said, and let go of her father’s embrace. She walked up to him and grabbed his hand.

”Princess,” Finn said with a smile and half bowed.

Clarke wiped her face clear of snot and tears and rolled her eyes. ”Thank you,” she said with a sob and hauled him in for a kiss. Finn didn’t even mind that he tasted salt. He made an embarrassed noise in the back of his throat, because something told him that this wasn’t how one acted in front of the King and Queen. He wasn’t even sure he was allowed to kiss Clarke anymore. Was he supposed to call her ’Your Highness’ from now on? Given what they had been up to, the thought made him kind of uncomfortable.

 

A few hours and a lot of introductions later, Finn found Bell in the far corner of the royal stables.

”There you are,” Finn said and gave Bell a wide smile. He opened the door and snuck inside. ”There’s a lot of people out there,” he told his horse. ”You would hate it.”

Bell ignored him, but Finn wasn’t surprised. The horse usually got really moody whenever Finn had him stay at a stable. Finn suspected that Bell had trust issues. Deep ones, by the looks of it.

”I think we’ll havet o stay here for a while, Bell,” Finn said and leaned against the smooth wooden wall. ”Turns out I was right. Clarke’s the princess I’ve spent my whole life trying to find… Her parents were really grateful. Extatic even.”

The silence was only interrupted by Bell shifting his stance. Finn wondered why he was waiting on a reply from someone who couldn’t talk. Though Bell was verbal enough to let him know how he was feeling, even when Finn didn’t ask for it. The silence was weirding him out.

”So, I’m engaged,” Finn said, just to have something to say. He reached forward and scratched Bell’s head. His horse didn’t give any indication that he had heard him, but Finn leaned in and hugged him anyway. ”I’m so fucking happy, Bell.”

A soft noise left Bell as the words passed Finn’s lips, and Finn buried his face in the coarse hair of Bell’s mane to hide the wide smile he was wearing.

”It’s all I ever wanted,” he said and Bel just turned his head. Finn couldn’t say anything else.

 

Once the people had been informed that the lost princess had been found, there was a lot of things to do. Invitations were sent out immediately for the upcomming wedding and Finn and Clarke spent every day meeting with people who wanted to meet the princess and her new fiance.

A week after the announcement Finn recieved a letter from Raven telling him that she’d always believed in him and that made Finn laugh out loud. Raven had spent all her life telling him he was insane for chasing after someone who couldn’t be found.

It was exhausting, being a future prince. Finn had so much to do each day that when it was over he fell head first into his bed.

He and Clarke slept in separate rooms, but more often than not Clarke snuck in after dark and they spent the rest of the night together. Most of the time they were both too tired too do more than sleeping, but a wicked smile from Clarke had Finn ready to do almost anything.

He still took the time to visit Bell every day, but they didn’t spend as much time as they’d done when they were constantly on the road together. Finn would be lying if he said he didn’t miss it. He was a wanderer in his bones and staying in one place for so long made him itch for something he couldn’t describe. He suspected Bell felt the same, even if he didn’t communicate with Finn as much as he used to. Though that was probably what tipped Finn off of the fact that Bell wasn’t really happy there.

One morning, a few days after Finn got his letter from Raven, Finn snuck into Bell’s box before the day had begun.

”Wake up, sleepy,” he whispered and stroked Bell’s back. ”We’re going out.”

That got Bell’s attention, and within minutes they were out on the courtyard. Clarke was waiting for them, with a handful of guards, and she smiled brilliantly at them.

”Wells told me about a large field, not too far from here,” she told them as they approached. The guard behind her blushed slightly. ”He said that not many people go there, since it’s technically a part of the castle, and it’s perfect for a picnic.”

”Clarke and I thought it would be good for all of us to get away from the castle for a while,” Finn said and scratched Bell’s face.

Wells and the other guards led the three of them out around the back of the castle, and as they saw the wide fields stretch out before them Finn felt some of the tension in his body release and joy returned to his bones. A quick look out the corner of his eye told him that Clarke felt the same. Bell’s soft sigh behind him told him they’d made the right choice. They had been couped up for too long.

”Well?” he asked Bell with a raised eyebrow. ”Aren’t you going to run?”

Finn laughed in relief when Bell let out a neigh of pure joy and sprinted down the hill. Without a second thought he joined him, and when he looked to his left Clarke was right next to him. They could hear the guards call out after them, but they didn’t care. This was the freest they’d felt since they got to the castle.

Finn didn’t stop until his entire being was aching and when he did he laid down in the tall grass and stared up at the sky. The clouds moved above him and if he squinted he thought he could see birds. Bell came into view above him and Finn scrunched up his face when a tongue came out and licked his forehead.

”Gross, mate,” he said with a teasing smile. ”I know, you love me.

Bell huffed.

They stayed on that field for the better part of the afternoon, and Finn was sure the guards found the display rather odd. He was almost certain that no princess had ever behaved like Clarke did that morning. When they approached lunch Wells said that they really had to go back and Clarke refused to move until he had promised to take them back at least once a week.

Finn suspected that Wells would soon learn the stubborness Clarke possessed.

As they gathered their things dark clouds started to form and the air creaked with anxiety. The guards were gripping their swords a bit tighter than they had before and were silently urging them to hurry up.

”Alright, let’s go,” Finn said and turned around to look at Clarke, who was frozen solid.

”Finn,” Clarke said and the air smelled like fear around her. ”She’s here.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *old lady voice* it's been 84 years

Clarke’s fingers dug into Finn’s arms like claws and her eyes were wide and frightened as they tried to find their target. Finn was at a loss of what to do, because he had never seen Clarke scared before.

The guards seemed to sense that something was wrong, because they formed a circle around the princess and her fiance and gripped their swords.

”She’s here,” Clarke said again.

”Who?” Finn asked. ”Clarke, who are you talking about?”

” _Diana,_ ” Clarke said in a hushed whisper. As if she had spoken the magic word Finn could see a figure approaching in the distance, clouds of grey forming behind her.

A tall woman, with long, almost silvery hair stopped in front of them, and Finn could barely make out the fire in her eyes in the mist surrounding her. He felt the dread creep up against his spine though, and he shifted his stance so that he was standing in front of Clarke.

A muffled thunder could be heard from the sky, and a few seconds later Finn could feel raindrops hit his hair.

The guards gripped their swords tighter and Bell shifted ueasily behind them. Finn wondered how this could all end with as little bloodshed as possible. It didn’t seem like an option, even with the most optimistic of outcomes.

”Hello, Clarke.” It was such a simple opening line, seemed harmless if it wasn’t for the way Clarke reacted to it. She gripped Finn’s arm, as if she needed the support to hold herself upright. ”Don’t you want to come and welcome your mother?”

”You’re not my mother,” Clarke said quietly, and Diana gave her a questioning look.

”What’s that, dear?” she asked her.

”You’re not my mother,” Clarke repeated, a bit louder this time, and Finn hated the pain he could hear in her voice.

”I’ve been your mother for years-”

”You _took_ me from my mother,” Clarke said loudly. ”You never even gave me a choice to know her.”

”Details,” Diana replied, voice dripping like honey. ”Please, boys,” she added to the guards, ”Let’s just put those sticks away.” She made a twitching motion with her hand and the swords fell from the guards hands, and turned to dust as they landed. Another flow of magic and the guards dropped like flies.

The rain was coming down harder, and Finn could feel the fabric of his shirt start to soak through.

”Just leave, Diana, and we can all forget that this ever happened.”

Clarke tried to reason with her, Finn could hear her beg, but he knew that Diana wouldn’t have come all this way for nothing. And by the way Diana looked at Clarke, like she was a prize to be won, he was right.

”Clarke, Clarke, Clarke,” Diana said with a thin smile on her lips. ”Let’s just stop this nonsense. You know that I won’t let anyone have you.”

”I’m not yours,” Clarke said and Finn winced when he felt electricity spark up his spine. When he cast a quick look behind him he saw Clarke’s fingers digging into his back, sending shocks through his body.

”Clarke, we need to get away from here,” Finn said. ”We need to get back to the castle.”

”She’ll never leave me alone,” Clarke bit out, and the pain in Finn’s back grew. ”We have to stop her.”

”And how are you gonna do that, Clarke?” Diana asked, and it was a silent taunt. ”I mean, it wasn’t long since you believed that I was the only one who could protect you.”

Her words were cut off by a burst of magic escaping from Clarke’s fingertips. They hit her square in the chest and made her take a few stumbling steps back. Before she had the chance to regain her balance Clarke let all her anger and betrayal build inside her and she released it against the one person she had trusted all her life.

”Anger like that won’t get you anywhere, honey,” Diana told her. ”You need control. Not that weak thing you call magic.”

A manic scream tore itself from Clarke’s lips and she ran toward Diana. Lightning struck as she tore and scratched at Diana’s defenses. Her movements and magic were irratic, and Finn could only imagine the hurt and betrayal Clarke was feeling right now.

Finn wished desperately that he could help Clarke, but his magic was nowhere near as strong as hers. So he did what he had done for so long. He poured all his magic, all his luck, onto her and begged and wished to whoever was listening that it would be enough. The familiar blue light swept around her and made her fight harder than she had before.

But it wasn’t enough.

Diana had been right when she said that anger wouldn’t help Clarke. Her movements were sloppy, and she was growing more tired by the minute, even with Finn’s help. All while Diana was a silent storm, unbothered by the nature fighting around her and Clarke’s whisps of magic that tried to break through. She looked almost bored.

”Clarke, let’s get this over with,” she said and let a bright purple burst of magic erupt from her fingers. It reeked of distaste.

The force hit Clarke square in the chest and she flew backwards and crashed onto the ground. A wounded sound left her mouth and her head fell to the side. She wasn’t moving. The smell of iron grew heavy in the air, strengthened by the rain. Immediately, Finn was by her side and he let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she wasn’t dead, just knocked unconscious. Finn saw Diana come toward them and shielded her with his body.

”Out of the way,” Diana told him and the rain came down harder, making it difficult to see anything. It had soaked through Finn’s clothes and he was shivering badly in the tough weather.

”You can’t have her,” Finn said and let the last remains of his magic buzz in his fingertips.

Diana laughed. ”Boy, you have so little luck left in you, you’d be lucky if you don’t hit yourself with that.”

”You can’t have her,” Finn repeated, because if there was one thing he knew it was that he would rather die before he let Diana take Clarke from her family again.

”You’d rather I kill you before I take her?” Diana asked. She hummed quietly, as if she was considering the consequences of her actions. ”As you wish.”

She raised her arms and between the palms of her hand a ball of energy started growing, coloured a sickly yellow. Finn faced his palms up toward the sky and raised his own wall of protection and safety. It was a pathetic attempt at protecting himself and Clarke. Diana had been right, he was too weak from helping Clarke earlier. It was a faint lavender where it should have been a blinding purple. There was no chance it would hold against Diana’s much more powerful magic.

For a moment everything was still, every sound seemed to vanish and he couldn’t feel the rain against his skin. All he saw was his world tinted purple and the grim satisfaction in Diana’s eyes. Clarke was cold behind him. There was a loud whooshing sound as Diana released the magic, made it hurl toward them. Finn closed his eyes.

All of a sudden he heard a loud whine and as he opened his eyes he saw Bell gallop toward them.

”Bell, no!” Finn cried out, but it was too late. Bell hit Diana’s curse straight on and a wounded sound escaped his body as he was captured in the force of the magic.

The horse fell to the ground with a loud thud and without thinking Finn dropped his shield and ran toward his horse side. Bell was still and unmoving, and Finn blinked back tears as he saw that he wasn’t breathing.

Finn buried his face in Bell’s mane and tried not to break down completely. In the back of his mind he realised that Clarke was now unprotected, but he couldn’t find it in himself to move.

”I’ll come with you.”

His head flew up. Clarke was standing up, eyes dark as she took in the scene in front of her. The words were cold and detached and in the back of Finn’s throat there was a protest building, but Clarke simply waved her hand and no sound came out.

Diana let a smile form on her lips and she opened her arms in welcome. Clarke took a few faltering steps, before something came over her and her steps were stronger, more assured.

She wrapped her hand around Diana’s throat and Finn could only watch as Diana’s face turned white, black veins stretching from where Clarke’s fingers were digging into her skin. After a few seconds, impossibly long seconds, Finn saw the life leave Diana’s eyes until there was nothing left but a blank gaze. She slumped against Clarke’s hand and Clarke let go, only for Diana to fall lifeless to the ground.

Clarke turned around and walked over to Finn, who was still cradling Bell against his body. She fell to her knees next to him and her fingers treaded through the coarse hair of Bell’s mane.

”Don’t worry,” she mumbled, eyes distant and clouded. ”It’ll be okay. I’ll make him… he’ll get back to normal.”

A warm light spread across her chest and down her arms, into her hands. It stretched over Bell’s entire body and the light grew stronger and stronger until Finn had to shield his eyes. When he opened them again it took a few seconds for them to get used to the light, but when they did he couldn’t believe what he saw.

In front of him was… a man. His hair was as black as the mane his horse’s had been and his eyes as open and expressive as Bell’s. Freckles were scattered across his naked body, and Finn couldn’t hide his blush as he realised he was naked.

”Here,” he said immediately and shrugged off his coat. It was soaked through, but Finn suspected it was better than nothing. He was dimly aware of Clarke getting up on her feet, but for now all his attention was on the man in front of him.”Bell?” he asked, because it all seemed ridiculous.

”Bellamy,” came the reply, and Finn grinned slightly.

”I might still call you Bell.” Finn reached out and swept the wet hair out of Bellamy’s eyes. ”How?”

”It’s a long story.”

A hitching breath interrupted them, and when Finn looked up he saw Clarke standing on unsteady feet in front of Diana’s body. The tips of her fingers were tinted black and her lips were slowly turning blue.

”Clarke,” Finn gasped ran up to her. He cradled her face in his hands and twitched when he felt the ice covering her cheeks. ”Are you okay?”

Clarke’s eyes were dim and distant as they looked at the body in front of them.

”I didn’t mean to kill her.” Her voice was barely a whisper. ”I just thought if I knocked her out that we’d… that she-”

A sob escaped her lips and Finn silenced the sound against the fabric of his shirt as he pulled her in for a tight hug. His eyes met Bellamy’s over her head and what he saw was a mixture of sorrow and pity.

”Come on,” Finn said in a low voice. ”We need to get the two of you back to the castle.”

”I couldn’t stop it,” Clarke continued, and her voice was thick. ”I just couldn’t-”

”Clarke!” Finn interrupted. ”Castle. Now!”

The rain was still pouring down as he wrapped an arm around Clarke’s shoulders. He walked past Bellamy, who was still only wearing Finn’s coat. Finn curled his arm around Bellamy’s waist and pulled the both of them back toward the castle.


	6. Chapter 6

They’d barely made it through the gates before Abby and Jake were at their daughter’s side. Clarke, who had been out it of sorts ever since Diana had fallen, barely noticed. Naturally, her parents natural reaction was to confront the only thing that was different from when they left that morning.

”Who the hell are you?” Abby demanded and Bellamy blinked in surprise.

”He’s… my horse,” Finn replied.

Abby looked almost comical in her confusion, and Bellamy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

”It’s a long story,” he said and shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t offer up an explanation, so Finn told the King and Queen what had happened. The fear in their eyes when they found out that the person who had taken their daughter the first time almost did it again was painful to watch. Abby’s hands were clenched into tight fists and Jake had his arm wrapped around his daughters shoulders.

”Where is she now?” he asked Finn, and Finn, who didn’t know how to explain what had happened.

”Dead, mother,” Clarke said quietly, white as a sheet. Everyone turned to look at the princess. ”She won’t be… She can’t hurt me again.”

A deafening silence stretched across the courtyard and Finn could feel a quivering sadness embrace them all. Hesitant yellow thethers of comfort trailed from Finn’s fingertips and toward Clarke, embracing her in a soft light. Beside him he felt Bellamy twitch.

”I think Clarke needs rest,” Finn said finally, sensing that what Clarke wanted most of all was to be alone.

That seemed to snap Abby out of her silence. ”Of course,” she said briskly, eyes blank. ”I’ll follow her to her chambers.”

She wrapped an arm around her daughter and led her inside the castle. King Jake watched his wife and daughter disappear from view and it seemed as if he wanted nothing more to do than follow. But he had duties to uphold and had to put aside his personal feelings for the time being.

”You saved my daughters life,” he said and turned his attention back to Finn and Bellamy. ”Both of you have my eternal gratitude. I’m sure my wife feels the same. Finn, you are already to wed my daughter and half of my kingdom will soon be yours. You are part of this family now and for the rest of your life.” He turned to the still partially undressed Bellamy and studied him intently. ”Bellamy,” he continued. ”Without you, my daughter now would’ve been dead. I don’t know how we could ever repay you. You can stay here for as long as you please and you will have safe passage wherever you wish to go. You will wish for nothing in this world.”

Without waiting for a reply he turned around and left, an urgency in his steps. The guards left a few steps behind him, which left Finn and Bellamy alone in the courtyard. The silence was thick and Finn twisted with discomfort.

”I’ve seen you naked.”

Finn spun around at the words and was so surprised he tried to cover it up with a loud cough. ”What?” he asked, still coughing.

”When you washed. I’ve seen you naked,” Bellamy said once more, his deep voice sending shivers down Finn’s spine. ”Let’s not make this weirder than what it already is.”

A wide grin stretched across Finn’s face. ”Well, your attitude has not changed,” he said. ”Let’s see where you can stay.”

It took no time at all to find an empty room for Bellamy to stay and Finn was pleased to find that it was just down the hall from his own room. He left Bellamy there with a promise of them talking later. Finn passed out the minute he laid down in his own bed.

When he woke up the sun was setting outside. Finn sat up in bed and startled when he saw Bellamy sit on the sofa, now dressed in something other than Finn’s jacket.

”You’re awake,” he said with a small smile. ”I hope you don’t mind that I waited in here. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Finn shrugged with a small yawn. ”It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

It was still weird to see Bellamy, this Bellamy, move around and talk and do all these human things. My horse was a human, Finn thought to himself. The fact that it didn’t affect him as much as it probably should have said a whole lot about his life at the moment.

”Bellamy, could I ask you something?” he asked quietly. At Bellamy’s approving nod Finn took a deep breath. “Why did you stay? You could’ve left whenever you wanted to and tried to find someone to break the spell.”

Bellamy was quiet for a moment and picked at his nails. When he spoke it was a quiet mumble, as if he was embarrassed by what he was about to say. “You didn’t hurt me… You were nice.”

The words struck Finn deep to the core and he didn’t know if he felt happy or sad. ”I couldn’t,” he replied honestly. ”When I saw you… I knew you were special.”

”I’m not,” Bellamy said immediately. ”I’m just some stupid man who was foolish enough to trust a witch.” The bitterness in his voice was strange.

Finn got out of bed, sheet loosely wrapped around his waist and silently made his way to where Bellamy was sitting. He hesitated slightly before sitting down.

”You _are_ special,” he insisted. A hand found itself in Bellamy’s hair, as he’d done so many times before, only now it was different. ”You’re the best horse I’ve ever had.”

A choked laugh escaped Bellamy’s lips and he raised his own hand to clasp Finn’s. ”I’m the only horse you’ve ever had, Finn.”

”See,” Finn said with a wide smile. ”We can already laugh about this.”

 

It became something exciting, to develop a new friendship with Bellamy. They were left alone for the most part, seeing as they had no duties to attend to. Even if Finn would’ve wanted to spend more time with his future wife, there was no time. Clarke and her family was planning the wedding, something Finn apparently had no say in at this stage of the preparations. Between that and the time Clarke was busy learning things that were important when you ruled a kingdom, there really wasn’t a lot of time for the two to be together. They had to improvise. Even though it probably would be described as imprudent Clarke snuck into Finn’s bedchambers almost each and every night, and then back out before dawn. Most nights they were just wrapped up in each other, mouths and hands mapping out every inch of each others bodies. A few times they’d just lie in silence, trying to make sense of things. Finn didn’t tell Clarke that he could feel the confusion rushing through her body. He didn’t want to ask if she was doing the same to him. Some things were better left unsaid.

Instead he and Bellamy spent most of their time descovering the castle and its grounds. They weren’t allowed outside the walls, something that made Finn’s bones ache with something he couldn’t explain. But they made the best of it, and within a couple of days they knew every inch of the castle like the back of their hands.

”I could get used to life like this,” Bellamy said once, as they were laying in the soft grass, just outside the castle. ”If it weren’t for the constant supervision.”

Finn hummed his agreement and raised himself on the back of his arms. A stream of confusion slipped from his fingers. The guards, who had been too busy hiding in the shadows, came out from hiding and awkwardly scratched their heads before turning back toward the castle.

”Well then,” Bellamy said and scoffed at Finn’s wide grin. ”You’re getting better at that. You were terrible when we first met.”

”Hey,” Finn protested. ”I had my moments.”

”You once set fire to yourself.”

In an attempt to defend himself Finn opened his mouth, but no sound came out. ”Okay, I guess that’s fair,” he said with a deep sigh and a satisfied chuckle left the body next to him. He shook his head as he laid back down next to Bellamy. After a while of studying the clouds passing by turned his head to the side and studied Bellamy. They were close, close enough for Finn to see his eyelashes resting on his cheek and the freckles that danced across his face. _Look at me_ , Finn begged him silently. _Please, look at me_.

The moment the thought entered his head it was as if someone had gently grasped Bellamy by the chin, and turned his head toward Finn.

_He has freckles touching his lips_ , Finn thought to himself. Warmth spread throughout his body, from the soles of his feet to the tips of his fingers and for some reason all Finn could focus on was those freckles.

Bellamy smiled. ”What?” he asked and his hand came up to touch his mouth. ”Do I have something on my face?”

The spell broke, and Finn felt incredibly out of place. ”No,” he mumbled. ”You’re perfect.” His fingers stretched out and scratched the roof of Bellamy’s other hand. Almost instinctively Bellamy turned it upward and together they laid side by side, hands intertwined.

A few hours later Finn woke up with a mouthful of hair and a numb hand. He opened his eyes slowly, and saw that the light had begun to fade. Bellamy’s head was a comfortable weight on his shoulder. With his free hand he pushed his hair away from mouth.

”Bell,” he whispered, ”We gotta go back to the castle.”

With a silent gasp Bellamy woke up. It wasn’t beautiful and serene like in the stories told to children, but quick and rough and for a moment Bellamy seemed as if he was stuck in a nightmare.

”Hey, Bell.” Finn was up by Bellamy’s side in an instant, not caring that his hand was being crushed by Bellamy’s. ”It’s okay. You’re safe.”

”I died,” Bellamy gasped, ”I was dead.”

”But you’re not,” Finn said. ”You’re here, with me. It’s okay. You’re not dead.”

This wasn’t the first time Bellamy had woken him with nightmares and unfortunately Finn didn’t think it was the last. The walls of the castle were thick enough to mute any sound trying to escape, but the times Bellamy had crashed in Finn’s room always ended like this.

Finn kept mumbling reassurances until Bellamy’s breathing had calmed down. The grip on his hand eased up slightly, but Bellamy didn’t let go, and Finn made no effort in the matter himself.

”You’re okay,” he mumbled and rested his forhead against Bellamy’s shoulder. It was almost completely dark, but they didn’t make any effort to move.

 

Later that night Finn woke up as a pair of cold feet touched his, and a quiet laughter escaped from next to him as he gave out a surprised yelp.

”Gotcha,” Clarke whispered and gave him a quick kiss. Finn smiled and wrapped his arm around her. She was a comfortable heat next to him, and her pale, naked skin brought little currents through his body. ”Ugh, I will be so happy when this wedding is over with and I can sleep for five moons.”

”We have the tour first,” Finn said thickly, all of this was happening much faster than he had expected. He hadn’t even expected this to happen, a few weeks ago.

Clarke whined slightly. ”But sleep, Finn,” she said, and pouted against his shoulder. ”You have no idea how hard it is, planning a wedding.”

”I would if you’d just let me help,” Finn retorted, a smile growing.

”You can’t, that’s the one rule the court will not budge on.”

His smile grew wider. ”That’s a shame,” he said and grunted as Clarke elbowed him lightly.

”Is that really how you want to address your Princess?” she said sternly, but Finn could feel her smile matching his own.

”I feel like I’m allowed, now that I know what she looks like naked,” Finn retorted. Clarke only huffed quietly.

The silence grew between them and Finn felt his eyelids grow heavy. He pulled Clarke closer to his chest. Somewhere between that and as he watched her get redressed, moonlight still in her hair, he fell asleep.

 

Two weeks after Bellamy’s curse had been broken Finn found out he had a sister. It was mentioned almost in passing, over porridge and ham, and Finn stared at him with wide eyes.

”You have a sister?” he asked loudly, he was well aware of his dripping spoon and the stares from the rest of the table. ”Why didn’t you tell me? Why aren’t you with her now?”

A slight blush covered Bellamy’s cheeks and he looked down at his own plate as he picked through his food. ”I don’t know where she is,” he confessed. ”We hadn’t talked for a while before… I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

Finn nudged him with his foot and a cloud of sympathy made a small smile form on Bellamy’s lips.

”We’ll help you, Bellamy,” Clarke assured him from across the table. ”We’ll send out riders.” She turned to her parents with a determined look, and they traded smiles between each other before agreeing with her. Finn suspected that there wasn’t a lot they said no to in regards to their daughter.

Hope was radiating from Bellamy’s body, you didn’t need magic to see it. ”That would be… I couldn’t thank you enough.”

”It’s the least we could do,” the King responded, which resulted in a wide smile from Bellamy.

Finn didn’t care how it happened as long as the smile on Bellamy’s lips stayed the same. ”Now you can stay as well,” he said jokingly. ”I would hate to see you leave.”

 

After supper that same day Clarke approached him slowly. Finn lit up when he saw her and swooped in to kiss her cheek, but a hand on his chest stopped him.

”Finn, could we... talk?”

She sounded serious, and Finn nodded. He waved at Bellamy, who was waiting in the doorway for him to come join him, and signaled that they would meet up later.

As they arrived at his chambers Clarke locked the door behind them with a heavy sigh which made Finn sit down in front of her. He stared at her as she walked back and forth across the floor.

”Do… you want me to start?” he asked in confusion, because he couldn’t for the life of him think of what they would need to talk about.

”No!” Clarke interrupted hastily. ”I’ll start.”

It took a few more moments of pacing across the floor and a stone to settle in Finn’s heart before she started speaking.

”I’m breaking off our marriage.” Before Finn managed to open his mouth Clarke raised her hand to silence him. “In some life we could’ve probably been really good together.” Clarke gave him a crooked smile. “If it wasn’t for the fact that you were in love with someone else. It’s okay,” she hurried to add as Finn opened his mouth. “I’m not mad. Or sad, for that fact.”

At Finn’s slightly indignant look she smiled wider. ”We both know it’s true.”

”Who would I love if not you?” Finn asked, wondering how this girl he’d come to adore told him it was all but a speck of the real thing.

The smile Clarke gave him was something he couldn’t described. She looked old, older than her years would ever portray her. Her eyes were both sad and satisfied, as if she knew what she was doing was the right thing. Finn didn’t understand how she could be so sure.

“Finn. You gave me a life. A new life. A better life, probably, and I can never thank you enough.” She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “What I can do is make sure that you get the life you truly want. This is the one thing I can do to begin to repay you. So let me.”

Without waiting for an answer she left him trying to figure out what just had happened. And, also, why he wasn’t feeling as crushed as he’d thought he would.

 

Bellamy found him late that night, still where Clarke had left him. ”There you are,” he said with a fond smile. ”I was beginning to think the Princess had stolen you away for the rest of the evening.”

When Finn didn’t smile at his antics his forehead formed a frown. ”What’s wrong?”

For the first time since Bellamy had been turned back into a human, Finn allowed himself to look at the man in front of him. It had only been fleeting looks and casual glances up until now, except for that day on the grounds of the castle. What he saw surprised him. It wasn’t the unruly black hair, the endless spread of freckles, broad shoulders or restless hands. Those were things he had seen before. But when he looked closer, really looked, he saw the unyielding, unwavering devotion aimed toward him. It hit Finn right between his ribs and spread throughout his body like wildfire. Realisation followed soon after. Clarke had been right, after all. As always.

”I have a problem,” he started, and felt the vibrations around Bellamy as he did so. Worry, confusion and a slight pain.

”Is there anything I can do?” Bellamy asked immediately, and Finn let out a short laugh.

”I guess you can say that,” he replied. “You see… I have a princess and half a kingdom and all I want to do is figure out ways to make you smile.”

There was a moment of absolute silence as Bellamy tried to understand the words that had just been spoken. Finn could almost hear a pin drop. “You have Clarke.” It was said quickly, quietly, mumbled into the floor. Finn silently apologized for waisting so much time.

”I don’t,” he said and Bell’s head flew up. “Clarke doesn’t love me.”

A loud snort. “Are you implying I do?”

“I’m saying that I want you to.”

”I-” Bellamy broke off whatever he was about to say. ”What?”

Finn got out of his chair and reached out, clasped his hands in his. ”Please,” he whispered. ”I’m sorry I didn’t realise. I’ll try to make up for it. But now… I’m asking you to love me. Because I do. Love you, that is.”

A tidalwave swept over Finn, and for a moment he had to close his eyes to take it all in. It gave him all he needed to know, and so much more. When he opened his eyes Bellamy was looking at him with something indescribable, something undefinable, and it filled Finn’s lungs until he had to release it in one big breath.

Bellamy smiled slightly. ”You’re so dumb,” he mumbled, before he pulled him in for a kiss.


End file.
